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Carmel Valley, California

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Coordinates: 36°28′38″N 121°44′22″W / 36.47722°N 121.73944°W / 36.47722; -121.73944
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Not to be confused with Carmel Valley Village, California.
For the wine region, see Carmel Valley AVA. For the neighborhood in San Diego, California, see Carmel Valley, San Diego.

Carmel Valley
Unincorporated community
Census county division
From top down, left to right: Carmel Valley panoramio; Carmel River; Garland Ranch Regional Park; Jamesburg Earth Station
Location of Carmel Valley in Monterey County and the state of California
Location of Carmel Valley in Monterey County and the state of California
Carmel Valley is located in California
Carmel Valley
Carmel Valley
Location in California
Carmel Valley is located in the United States
Carmel Valley
Carmel Valley
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 36°28′38″N 121°44′22″W / 36.47722°N 121.73944°W / 36.47722; -121.73944
Country United States
State California
CountyMonterey
Government
 • Board of SupervisorsMary Adams (politician)[2]
 • State senatorJohn Laird (D)[3]
 • AssemblymemberRobert Rivas (D)[3]
 • U. S. rep.Jimmy Panetta (D)[4]
Area
[5]
 • Total189.65 sq mi (491.2 km2)
 • Land189.05 sq mi (489.6 km2)
 • Water0.6 sq mi (2 km2)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total6,189[1]
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
93924[6]
Area code831
FIPS code0605390370
GNIS feature ID270303

Carmel Valley is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California, United States. The term "Carmel Valley" generally refers to the Carmel River watershed east of California State Route 1, and not specifically to the smaller Carmel Valley Village.[5][1] For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Carmel Valley as a census county division (CCD),[1] with an area covering approximately 189 square miles (490 km2).[5] At the time of the 2020 census the CCD population was 6,189.[1] In November 2009, a majority of residents voted against incorporation.

History

[edit]

The earliest archaeological findings show that Carmel Valley had two separate tribes, the Esselens that lived in Upper Carmel Valley and the Rumsens lived from Mid-Carmel Valley to the mouth of Carmel Valley.[8]

The mouth of Carmel Valley where the Carmel River runs into Carmel Bay was observed by Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno shortly before he landed in Monterey Bay in December 1602. He wrote about visiting the river on January 3, 1603, but greatly exaggerated its proportions, confusing later explorers. Vizcaino named it El Rio del Carmelo, likely because his voyage was accompanied by three Carmelite friars.[9]

The Rancho Los Laureles, a 6,625-acre (26.81 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day Monterey County, California, was given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Manuel Boronda and Vicente Blas Martínez.[10] The grant extended along the Carmel River in Carmel Valley; and encompassed present day Carmel Valley. In 1882, the Pacific Improvement Company (PIC) purchased the Rancho Los Laureles. In 1916, Samuel F.B. Morse became the manager of the PIC and his job was to liquidate the PIC holdings (10,000 acres (4,000 ha)).[8]

James Meadows (1817-1902) was an English-born immigrant that came to Monterey in 1838. In 1842, Meadows and Loreta purchased the 4,592 acres (1,858 ha) Palo Escrito Mexican land grant from Monterey businessman Thomas O. Larkin who had acquired several land grants in California. He donated land and helped found the Carmelo School, which was the earliest school in Carmel Valley. The James Meadows Tract was between the Rancho Cañada de la Segunda to the west, Rancho Los Laureles to the northeast, and Garland Ranch Regional Park to the south. His daughter, Isabel Meadows, was an Ohlone ethnologist and the last fluent speaker of the Rumsen Ohlone language.[11]

William Hatton (1849–1894), born in Ireland and married to Kate Harney (1851-1922), came to California in 1870. In 1888, Hatton became the manager of Rancho Cañada de la Segunda, which extended along the north bank of the Carmel River into the mouth of Carmel Valley. The land was owned by Dominga Doni de Atherton, the widowed wife of Faxon Atherton (namesake of Atherton, California). By 1892, Hatton purchased the Rancho from Dominga. Hatton operated a dairy business, which was located at Highway 1 and Carmel Valley Road, at the site of the present-day The Barnyard Shopping Village.[8]: p45 

The Berwick Manor and Orchard was located on Boronda Road off Carmel Valley Road in Carmel Valley. The farmstead was acquired in 1869 by Edward Berwick, a writer and educator as well as a scientific farmer. The manor and orchard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 17, 1977. The Berwick Manor and Orchard was sold in 1961 and later subdivided into what is known today as the Berwick Manor Subdivision.[12][13]

In 1919, Morse formed the Del Monte Properties and acquired PIC. In 1923, the Del Monte Properties divided the land into 11 parcels. Marion Hollins bought 2,000 acres (810 ha). In 1926, developer Frank B. Porter bought 600 acres (240 ha). He later acquired a portion of the Hollins ranch and sold it.[11]

The Holman Ranch, originally part of the Rancho Los Laureles, passed through many hands until 1928, when San Francisco businessman, Gordon Armsby, purchased 400-acre (1.6 km2) in Carmel Valley. He built a Spanish-style hacienda out of Carmel stone with terracotta roofing, and oak-beamed ceilings. It became a Hollywood retreat for Charlie Chaplin, Theda Bara, Marlon Brando, and Clark Gable. Today, the Holman Ranch is a privately owned winery, with a tasting room and offers a venue for weddings and special events.[14][15][8]: p100 

Further up the valley was the Rancho Tularcitos. Settlement in the Cachagua area, situated further up the valley, took place in the 1870s and 1890s. This period coincided with the recession of the 1890s, which led people from the Salinas Valley to seek new opportunities in Cachagua. They migrated to the region and acquired small parcels of land, engaging in subsistence farming to sustain themselves during challenging economic times.[16]

Geography and ecology

[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Carmel Valley CCD covers a total area of 189.65 square miles (491 km2), comprising 189.05 square miles (489.6 km2) of land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2) of water.[5] Within the CCD, the Carmel Valley Village lies on the eastern bank of the Carmel River while the community of Robles del Rio is located on the western bank. Carmel Valley Road (County Route G16) is the main route through the valley, connecting to California State Route 1 near the City of Carmel to the west.

The Carmel River drains the area of Carmel Valley. Primary ecosystems of the vicinity include California oak woodland, riparian woodland, chaparral, grassland and savanna. Dominant oak trees include Quercus agrifolia. The locale of Carmel Valley is also the northernmost range of the hybrid oak Quercus x alvordiana.[17]

The Garland Ranch Regional Park is located at 700 West Carmel Valley Road. The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District (MPRPD) manages the Garland Ranch Regional Park.

Climate

[edit]

This region experiences warm dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). With heat waves in the upper 70s to 101 degrees F. The further inland you go. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Carmel Valley has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[18]

Climate data for Carmel Valley, California (2002–2020 normals) (records 1959–1978, 2002–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 89
(32) 		86
(30) 		92
(33) 		98
(37) 		98
(37) 		106
(41) 		110
(43) 		107
(42) 		113
(45) 		104
(40) 		96
(36) 		84
(29) 		113
(45)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 77.3
(25.2) 		77.5
(25.3) 		82.1
(27.8) 		86.2
(30.1) 		89.3
(31.8) 		93.1
(33.9) 		92.5
(33.6) 		95.4
(35.2) 		100.1
(37.8) 		94.5
(34.7) 		85.5
(29.7) 		74.6
(23.7) 		102.4
(39.1)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 63.1
(17.3) 		63.8
(17.7) 		66.9
(19.4) 		68.7
(20.4) 		71.3
(21.8) 		76.0
(24.4) 		78.5
(25.8) 		79.6
(26.4) 		80.6
(27.0) 		77.9
(25.5) 		68.8
(20.4) 		62.5
(16.9) 		71.5
(21.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 51.6
(10.9) 		52.3
(11.3) 		54.2
(12.3) 		55.8
(13.2) 		58.6
(14.8) 		62.1
(16.7) 		64.7
(18.2) 		65.1
(18.4) 		65.7
(18.7) 		62.7
(17.1) 		55.6
(13.1) 		51.0
(10.6) 		58.3
(14.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 40.0
(4.4) 		40.8
(4.9) 		41.5
(5.3) 		42.8
(6.0) 		45.9
(7.7) 		48.3
(9.1) 		51.0
(10.6) 		50.6
(10.3) 		50.7
(10.4) 		47.6
(8.7) 		42.4
(5.8) 		39.6
(4.2) 		45.1
(7.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 29.6
(−1.3) 		30.7
(−0.7) 		32.6
(0.3) 		34.7
(1.5) 		37.7
(3.2) 		40.2
(4.6) 		42.3
(5.7) 		42.2
(5.7) 		42.2
(5.7) 		38.4
(3.6) 		32.8
(0.4) 		28.4
(−2.0) 		26.5
(−3.1)
Record low °F (°C) 20
(−7) 		23
(−5) 		25
(−4) 		31
(−1) 		33
(1) 		33
(1) 		37
(3) 		35
(2) 		35
(2) 		26
(−3) 		27
(−3) 		21
(−6) 		20
(−7)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.94
(100) 		3.51
(89) 		2.80
(71) 		1.36
(35) 		0.54
(14) 		0.14
(3.6) 		0.03
(0.76) 		0.06
(1.5) 		0.05
(1.3) 		0.78
(20) 		1.74
(44) 		2.99
(76) 		17.94
(456)
Average precipitation days 10.5 10.2 9.9 7.6 3.8 1.0 0.2 0.1 0.8 2.9 6.7 12.2 66.7
Source: NOAA[19]

Demographics

[edit]

2020

[edit]

At the 2020 census Carmel Valley had a population of 6,189. The racial makeup of Carmel Valley was 5,502 White, 32 African American, 57 Native American, 126 Asian, 17 Pacific Islander, 270 from other races, and 685 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 624.[20]

The age distribution was 1.7% under the age of 5; 16.0% under the age of 18, 84.0% 18 years and over; and 37.5% 65 or older. The median age was 58.8 years.[20]

Government

[edit]

At the county level, Carmel Valley is represented on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors by Mary L. Adams, as the 5th District Supervisor.[21]

In the California State Assembly, Carmel Valley is in the 17th Senate District, represented by Democrat John Laird, and in the 29th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Robert Rivas.[22] In the United States House of Representatives, Carmel Valley is in California's 19th congressional district, represented by Democrat Jimmy Panetta.[23]

Transportation

[edit]

Carmel Valley Airfield is a defunct airfield that was a privately owned airpark in Carmel Valley from 1941 to 2002.[24] The airport was later called the Carmel Valley Vintage Airfield. The historical resources commission found that development of the site was important as it represented the first planned residential airpark in the United States.[25] The airfield closed in 2002.[26]

Tourism

[edit]

Carmel Valley has a number of wine tasting rooms, as well as several high-end hotels affiliated with the wineries. Wineries with tasting rooms in Carmel Valley include Holman Ranch, Bernardus, Boëté, Chateau Sinnet, Folktale, Galante, Georis, Heller Estate, Joullian Village, Joyce Vineyards, Parsonage, San Saba and Talbott.[27] A public bus, called the Grapevine Express Route 24 and run by Monterey-Salinas Transit, stops at most of these tasting rooms.[28]

The Monterey Wine Trolley also offers a tour on a former San Francisco trolley that makes stops at several wineries in the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Valley.[29]

Folklore

[edit]

The Lost Padre Mines of the Carmel Mission have woven themselves into the tapestry of local folklore, with their legacy recounted through various accounts, including those within Randall Reinstadt's notable works such as Ghosts, Bandits, and Legends of Old Monterey, Carmel and Surrounding Areas and Tales and Treasures of California Missions. These narratives unveil a captivating history, suggesting that indigenous communities held knowledge of abundant gold deposits concealed within the untamed terrain of the Santa Lucia Mountains. As whispers of these riches echoed through time, the enigmatic Lost Padre Mines became a testament to the allure of hidden treasures and the enduring mystique of the land. Numerous iterations of these legends appear to have originated from long-time residents of Carmel Valley. It is plausible that this phenomenon can be attributed to some of the final descendants of the Mission Indians who resided and labored in the area.[30][31][32]

Notable sites

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Carmel Valley CCD, Monterey County, California". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  2. ^ Rahaim, Nick (June 8, 2016). "Mary Adams knocks Dave Potter off his longtime seat". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  4. ^ "California's 20th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  5. ^ a b c d "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files: California CCDs". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  6. ^ "ZIP Code(tm) Lookup". United States Postal Service. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  7. ^ "Carmel Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  8. ^ a b c d Barratt, Elizabeth (2010). Carmel Valley. San Francisco, California: Arcadia Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 9780738571621. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  9. ^ Gudde, Erwin G.; Bright, William (1949). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-520-24217-3.
  10. ^ Hoffman, Ogden (1862). Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. San Francisco: Numa Hubert. OCLC 1052543150.
  11. ^ a b Fink, Augusta (1982). Monterey County: The Dramatic Story of Its Past. San Francisco: Western Tanager Press/Valley Publishers. pp. 194–196. ISBN 9780913548622. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  12. ^ Seavey, Kent L. (December 14, 1976). National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination Form: Berwick Manor & Orchard. National Park Service. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
  13. ^ "Notice of Trustee's Sale". The Californian. Salinas, California. February 21, 1961. p. 14. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  14. ^ "Gordon Armsby Buys Carmel Ranch". The Times. San Mateo, California. August 23, 1928. p. 2. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  15. ^ Laura Ness (June 2, 2012). "A Carmel Valley Escapade". The Californian. Salinas, California. p. 32. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  16. ^ MaryEllen Ryan and Gary S. Breschini, Ph.D. "Overview of Post-Hispanic Monterey County History". Monterey County Historical Society. Monterey County, California. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  17. ^ C. Michael Hogan. 2008. Blue Oak: Quercus douglasii, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg Archived 2012-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Carmel Valley, California Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  19. ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". NOAA. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". US Census Bureau.
  21. ^ "Monterey County Supervisors and Their Districts". Board of Supervisors, County of Monterey. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  22. ^ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  23. ^ "California's 19th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC.
  24. ^ "Monterey Peninsula Briefs". www.newspapers.com. Salinas, California. March 18, 1941. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  25. ^ Carol, Brenda (December 6, 2000). "Carmel Valley Vintage Airpark Threatened with Closure: Local Pilots and Concerned Citizens Fight Back". www.avweb.com. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  26. ^ Marino, Pam (July 5, 2018). "Carmel Valley residents band together to purchase vintage airfield as parkland". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  27. ^ Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce: Wineries and Tasting Rooms Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "Route List". Monterey-Salinas Transit. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  29. ^ "The Wine Trolley". Tours Monterey. Archived from the original on March 7, 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
  30. ^ "Legends of the Lost Padre Mines Ghosts and Gold in the Santa Lucia Mountains" (PDF). Carmel Residents Association. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. June 2011. p. 5. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  31. ^ Reinstedt, Randall A. (1992). Tales and Treasures of California Missions. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-0-933818-24-8. Retrieved August 10, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  32. ^ Reinstedt, Randall A. (1995). Ghosts, Bandits, and Legends of Old Monterey, Carmel and Surrounding Areas. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. pp. 50–51. ISBN 978-0-933818-24-8. Retrieved August 10, 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  33. ^ Roos, Henrietta. Soap Opera Super Couples: The Great Romances of Daytime Drama. Jefferson: McFarland, 2017. Amazon Kindle. 18 Dec. 2016.
  34. ^ Barratt, Richard H.; Elizabeth R. Barratt (July 16, 2007). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Carmel Valley Road-Boronda Road Eucalyptus Tree Row. National Park Service. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  35. ^ "Carmel Valley s Angelique Cabral shines in Life in Pieces". The Mercury News. October 9, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  36. ^ "Wah Ming Chang, 86; Special-Effects Master Worked on 'Time Machine'". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. December 30, 2003. p. 57. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  37. ^ "Box Office Queen, Singer, Doris Day Dies at 97". The Californian. Salinas, California. May 15, 2019. p. 1.
  38. ^ Anderson, Mark C. (September 23, 2010). "New county resident Scott Fujita uses the game to attack everything from quarterbacks to social injustice". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  39. ^ "Famous Camera Artist Dies". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. October 15, 1963. p. 16. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  40. ^ "MC Lars wrapped up his Monterey County Free Libraries presentation/Performances at Seaside Library". August 2010.
  41. ^ "Secret life of Mike Nesmith, the missing Monkee". Mirror. March 5, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
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